Smørrebrød: divine spread!

Smørrebrød is Denmark’s classic lunch dish. Although it literally means ‘sandwich’, in practice the Smørrebrød is so much more. The Danes take their ingredients very seriously, which results in delicious bite-size combinations.

Classic smørrebrød begins with a slice of fresh bread with a layer of butter. Next comes a varied menu of pålæg: meat, fish, cheese, all kinds of condiments and raw vegetables. The Danes vary their toppings endlessly, with liver pâté and sild, pickled herring with sauce, being especially popular. The type of bun is very important: salmon and shrimp go on white bread, while tartar is best suited for dark rye bread – preferably tastefully decorated with an egg yolk and some horseradish. There are plenty of places in Copenhagen, ranging from simple to exclusive, where you can taste these traditional open sandwiches.

 Smørrebrød

Kööpenhamina

Stately smørrebrød at Queen Ida’s

Ida Davidsen serves the most famous and perhaps tastiest smørrebrød in Copenhagen. ‘Queen Ida’, as she is affectionately known, is a living legend. Her menu is a whopping 140 cm long and boasts 250 sandwiches. Many are named after famous Danes. The Hans Christian Andersen, for instance, is bacon, tomato, liver pâté and horseradish on rye bread. Danes usually lunch early: the best time to come round Ida’s is around noon.

See location on map

Store Kongensgade 70, 1264 Copenhagen

Edible works of art

Chef Adam Aamann has elevated smørrebrød to a true art form. The proof of the pudding is in his cosy bistro Aamanns Deli. The interior is stylishly furnished with Danish design featuring lots of wood. Fresh local ingredients are carefully made into the finest dishes in the kitchen. Whether you choose the fishcakes with wild garlic and remoulade or Danish blue cheese with rhubarb chutney, you’re sure to find your food almost too pretty to eat when it arrives.

See location on map

Øster Farimagsgade 12, 2100 Copenhagen


Dyrlægens Natmad

Schnapps and smørrebrød

Near the colourful warehouses on Nyhavn is Told og Snaps, a cosy Danish lunch restaurant. The kitchen here is all about ‘slow food’ – everything on your lunchtime sandwich will have been homemade in the morning. Fish and meat are smoked by the chefs themselves. The menu offers smørrebrød classics such as Dyrlægens Natmad, a ‘vet’s midnight snack’ which consists of rye bread with liver pâté, corned beef and brawn. And this establishment has another specialty: schnapps, made of ingredients such as honey, dill or anise.